Diver dies after lightning hits air tank near Deerfield Beac
Posted: July 23rd, 2007, 11:09 am
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A 36-year-old diver was killed after lightning struck his air tank, authorities said.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, was diving with three others off a boat near Deerfield Beach on Sunday, when a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect in the area.
When he surfaced, "lighting struck his tank," said Deerfield Beach fire Chief Gary Fernaays. "He was approximately 30 feet from the boat at the time."
The three other divers struggled to get the man back into the boat and radioed for help. The man was then rushed to the beach where a rescue crew was waiting. He was given CPR and taken to North Broward Medical Center in Pompano Beach, where he was pronounced dead, Fernaays said.
The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office planned an autopsy to determine if the man died by electrocution or drowning.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, was diving with three others off a boat near Deerfield Beach on Sunday, when a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect in the area.
When he surfaced, "lighting struck his tank," said Deerfield Beach fire Chief Gary Fernaays. "He was approximately 30 feet from the boat at the time."
The three other divers struggled to get the man back into the boat and radioed for help. The man was then rushed to the beach where a rescue crew was waiting. He was given CPR and taken to North Broward Medical Center in Pompano Beach, where he was pronounced dead, Fernaays said.
The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office planned an autopsy to determine if the man died by electrocution or drowning.
